Stellar/Space Terms
This is a page dedicated to educating some Users about general space terms both in real life and in terms of the genre we are using here on Ultra Fan Wiki. Why is this page important? This page is important, because Ultraman is a Sci-Fi series, more than that, it involves aliens besides Ultras and main characters sometimes go into space. It helps in writing when you at least sound like you know what you are talking about. Now take note, there is no rule saying, you have to use these, this is all just reference material. Terms and their Explanations Stellar Bodies * The Universe: This is referred to by other names, Space, just Space in general, and my personal favorite, Space-Time Zones. A universe is space, containing all the celestial bodies, flow of time and other aspects such as dimensions all acting together as a totality onto themselves. I.e. If your perceivable space exists naturally as part, coming from, a larger space-time zone, then its not really a Universe, it's a pocket Universe. * Planets: Planets are celestial bodies, some of the most common, but they all follow several rules. ** Rule One: All natural planets are round, orbs spheres etc. Yes, sometimes you have 'artificial' planets which are really just hug space stations, but I digress. All naturally forming planets are round because of their ** Rule Two: All natural planets have or had magnetic poles. All Planets have a magnetic field, or had one, as a result of their core, which is believed to normally be molten metal. With worlds with life, this is especially important as the field stops harmful stellar/solar radiation from killing all life on it. ** Rule Three: They are made of conventional matter. You can have planets made of metal, planets like earth, planets that are just big balls of magma, or gas giants like Jupiter and smaller, but if it is not composed primarily of Solid matter, liquids, gas, or a mixture of two or all three, its not a planet. If its made entire of fire...it's literally a star. * Dwarf Planets: These are just really small planets. * Planetoid: These are not planets, they are really large asteroids that are almost round in shape, the are proto-planets. * Barren Worlds: Rocky worlds do not, or barely support life. They are generally rocky and little to no atmosphere. Mars is a good example. * Gaian/Garden Worlds: Worlds able to supports life, they have a full atmosphere and water. Note this is in terms of human perspective, your story may have worlds made of metal, or water worlds etc. * Goldilocks Zone: The zone of orbits (the path something travels when spinning around something else), around a star(s) which is not too hot or cold, allowing life to exist. Even within this, there is a subsection producing hot worlds, or ice worlds as the polar extremes. Outside the zone is the hellish temperatures of planets like Venus and Mercury or the freezing temperatures of the outer planets. * Stars: Stars are just large balls of fire, or plasma if you which to scientifically correct. Plasma is ionized (the matter has an electrical charge) gas at high temperatures. Most stars, save white dwarfs, are gigantic, compared to planets and can generally outmatch all other celestial bodies in a system in terms f mass. Stars range from the small (our star, the sun) to the gigantic (there are stars that as big to the sun as the sun in to Earth and more. * Nova: At the end of its life a star will explode in what is called a nova/going nova. This leaves behind a White Dwarf. The explosion will still affect the solar system. These explosions can also create Nebula. * Super Nova: This is when a massive star goes nova. The end result is the birth of a Singularity which creates a Black Hole. They can also create a nebula if the star is not too massive. * Red Giant: A star near the end of its life, having swelled in sized and turned red, it has enveloped the closets planets to it. * White Dwarf: A small star, the remains of a Nova * Nebula: Massive clouds of space dust. These are the building blocks for future stars, planets and solar systems. Because they cover astronomical distances, some can have in stellar clusters, stars and solar systems. * Stellar Cluster: A group of stars and/or solar systems grouped nearby. * Singularity: A point of vast gravitational, forces, when a mass of matter compressed to the point that it has no perceivable, height, width or depth, the core of a Black Hole. * Asteroid Fields: The rocks orbiting a star, in a solar system. Contrary to popular presentation, they are not closely nit together, and are generally miles apart. Transport * Spaceship: Any vessel made to travel in space. * Starship: Technically still a space ship, but this one specifically can travel across solar systems * Capital Ships: These are massive ships and are almost always made for military use. Think the 'mothership' of an alien/sci-fi fleet you have seen. * Mothership: The ship that leads an alien invasion, this is almost always the largest and usually deploys the smaller ships. * Space Stations: Buildings, built to operate in space. * Space Colonies: A space station built to house a viable population. This is more than workers or personnel but also their families, and/or normal civilians. Aliens * Alien Planet Name Here: No, doubt you have heard of an alien listed as Alien 'something'. A prime example is Alien Baltan...that's not their name, not that individual alien's name. That is the name of their species. In Japanese it is Baltan Seijin. Seijin comes from Seikai, which means 'world' in english and Jin/Jinbei which means Person/People respectively. Alien Baltan, means, they are aliens from Planet Baltan. The proper English term would be, as spoken in the US series Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero, Baltanians. Still don't get it? Then think about Martians, aliens from the planet Mars, in Japanese, Martians would be called Mars Seijin. ** Also note that it is not always a planet, but the celestial body the being hales from. Category:Admins